Keep alive Hong Kong’s history, or another night market would just be a yawn

To draw visitors and revive its economy, Hong Kong must recognise that a major part of its selling point is its unique history and culture, including historic buildings, neon signs and the like
Preserving Hong Kong history will help the city tell the Hong Kong story well

John Hanzhang Ye

Published: 8:15am, 31 Aug 2023

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The Hong Kong government is brainstorming to boost its nighttime economy. Officials have proposed hosting more after-dark activities such as outdoor night markets near the harbour as one way to reinvigorate the city’s nightlife.

Such measures could help boost the city’s economy to a limited degree. However, one key question remains: can they persuade visitors to come?

Since the reopening of the border with the mainland, checkpoints to Shenzhen have been crowded with visitors. Compared to Hong Kong, restaurants in Shenzhen provide travellers with more choice at cheaper prices.

While Shenzhen has opened up more to the world in recent decades, Hong Kong has failed to change with the times. High rents in Hong Kong have forced service providers to raise their prices. As costs in Hong Kong rise and Shenzhen continues to catch up, the former has to work harder to attract visitors.

Hong Kong can capitalise on one huge advantage. The city is famous for being the midpoint between China and the West, and what has emerged here is neither purely Western nor Chinese but a hybrid. In other words, Hong Kong has its own unique legacy. This legacy is the key to attempts to boost the city’s economy.

Hong Kong is trying to develop its service sector, including restaurants, hotels and tourism. However, the sector will not automatically grow just because more restaurants open or buildings get constructed.

The service sector needs a story, to give people a reason to come here. Hong Kong had that once, but it is losing its allure.

The “city walk” trend in Shanghai provides a glimpse of a possible future for Hong Kong. People walk around the city and visit buildings constructed nearly a hundred years ago, imagining the neon lights and the legacy of the most prosperous city in the Far East. Hong Kong had many of these legacies, but they were lost amid regulation and the pursuit of development.

The city’s architectural heritage and famous neon signs are disappearing quickly. The introduction of new regulations has led to the many neon signs that represented Hong Kong’s vivid nightlife disappearing from the streets. Disappearing along with the signs are examples of pre-war architecture being demolished or redeveloped.

The Jumbo Floating Restaurant is another lost potential landmark for tourists. The government rejected proposals to rebuild the restaurant and provide financial support, and by the time politicians finally realised its value it was already too late.

The restaurant, architecture and neon signs are all material symbols of Hong Kong that could have helped tell the city’s story and draw in visitors.

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Hong Kong’s fading neon signs that once lit up the city’s night sky

All is not lost as long as the government moves faster to save Hong Kong’s heritage. There is still much to preserve, such as the shophouse at 190 Nathan Road that was used to spy on the Japanese army during World War II. The stories attached to the building and its location make it a perfect example of Hong Kong’s unique story.

By digging up and preserving the city’s stories and artefacts, Hong Kong’s real story can emerge. Tourists and locals can explore the whole city and embrace its history instead of staying only in certain well-known areas. The government needs to reconsider its narrative of development.

So far, that narrative has created a schism between preserving history and building more skyscrapers. As growing numbers of tourists look beyond shopping and want to experience a place’s history and unique qualities, Hong Kong’s allure cannot come from continuing to build higher.

The four-storey building at 190 Nathan Road, a Grade 3 Heritage Building, in Tsim Sha Tsui. The veranda-style building is one of three remaining pre-war sites located on the corner of a block that features corridor-style balconies. Photo: Sam Tsang

Instead, it is time to think about what the city’s past can do for its present and future. Preserving Hong Kong history will not just maintain its cultural importance but bring economic benefits by telling the city’s story in physical form. Development in this sense means more than just tearing down old buildings and signs to replace them with a well-regulated landscape tourists could find in any other major city.

The key to reviving Hong Kong’s economy is not to host more night markets but tell the story behind them. An economy is more than a venue for people to spend money. Hong Kong needs to find its way out of its current malaise and rebuild its reputation by looking within itself, not imitating others.

John Hanzhang Ye is a PhD student in science and technology history at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities and also holds an MPhil degree in sociology from the Chinese University of Hong Kong